Recently, in the Borth Wild Animal Kingdom, Category 1 carnivores such as Lynx and Lions had to be rehomed. This is due to the zoo losing their license to carry these animals. Lynxes are a special kind of cat that is similar to the bobcat, and this species in particular is endangered. So let's learn more about them.
Physical Description and Behavior
The Iberian Lynx has bright yellowish fur with spits that cover their body and range in size and shape. They have relatively small heads, and cute tufts on their ears, as well as a ruff around their neck.
Fun fact: Like your pet dog, the Iberian Lynx will mark their territory with their urine. They will also scratch the bark on the trees as well as poop in an area to mark their territory.
They mostly prey on the European rabbit for most of their diet, supplementing it with deer, partridge, and rodents. That said, about 75% of their diet relies on these rabbits, meaning that they have low adaptability to other sources of food in the absence of them. They also do not seem to supplement their diet with plant matter the way many other carnivores tend to do.
Habitat and Location
They are labeled as Endangered according to the IUCN Red List. This has a lot to do with their low adaptability and their fragmented population. They used to be considered Critically Endangered, but this recently changed due to conservation efforts.
They can only be found in a few small areas of Spain. This includes Helva, Seville, and Cordoba. They used to be found in France and Portugal as well, but habitat loss has reduced their population greatly.
You can learn more about this endangered wildcat by checking out the video below!